Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D 6MP Digital SLR w/ Anti-Shake Technology & AF 28-100mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens

Rating:
Summary: Great Camera
Review: I am a professional photographer and have shot Minolta since the advent of the first auto focus, the Model 7000. As the years went by, Cannon and Nikon seemed to kill them with lens selection and features. I still hung in there. I had about $11,000 in lenses alone and was more than a little pleased with the new Maxxum 9 when it came out. What a great camera! However, digital was rapidly becoming king.

About the time I decided to chuck it all for a new Cannon digital system, I heard rumors of a Minolta digital. This was previously stated to NEVER happen. Minolta would not build a digital body. Thank God for Konica! Shortly after the purchase of Minolta by Konica, the probability of a digital was rumored. I decided to hold out and am glad I did.

The camera is packed with an enormous array of features that can pretty much be found on most upper end Digital's. However, three main things have made me absolutely ecstatic with this camera:

1. The image viewing screen is absolutely huge compared to others. I can actually do legitimate critical proofing with this thing. I don't think you could even fit a bigger screen on it without making the camera larger.

2. The anti shake body is impressive...very impressive This is not new technology for Minolta. They have had this incorporated into their fixed lens digital for a while now. Bottom line is that it works! I sat it on the hood of a running car with the stabilizer on and then off (300mm 2.8 lens). The two photos were unbelievably different. One was blurred, one wasn't. That simple.

3. It shoots the same way my Maxxum 9 does. When I turn it on, it is ready to shoot. No waiting. The buffer size allows me to shoot continuously without missing important photos while waiting for the camera to catch up to me. This is extremely nice and not what I am used to.

When I heard of the possibility of this camera being introduced (more than a year before it actually finally hit the market) I purchased an Olympus E20 to get me by for the time. I have been very happy with the Olympus in the studio. However, the screen was too small to proof with and I was always waiting on the camera. It is now my back up. I LOVE this new Minolta and can't wait until they put their 8 meg chip in another model. Perhaps a 9D?
Hmm I hope so.

At any rate, I am impresed. I will now be purchasing another as my back up.

Thank you very much, Konica/Minolta...Finally

Rating:
Summary: Fits like a glove
Review: If you have had minolta cameras before you will feel right at home with this new maxxum 7D (Dynax in europe). I have been a long time minolta user and was very glad to see this camera finally hitting the market. Just last week I finally got the chance to handle one at a local store. I am sharing my initial impression of the camera.

Pros:

1) Feels great in hand. I was very comfortable with its ergonomic design.

2) The AS (Anti Shake) feature is truly useful. I have been reading posts from canon users as well as minolta 7d users and looks like the AS is coming really handy in low light situation. Canon and Nikon both have similar technology for reducing shake at low light or with high level zoom. However, those technologis are built into the lense. Because of that those lenses are more expensive than the regular lense. BUT Minolta has the AS built into the body. That's why any regular Minolta/maxxum AF lenses can be used and benefit from AS technology. That is the key difference and creates this initial price difference.

3) Color is great right out of the camera. No retouching is necessary.

4) Large buffer for continuous shooting

5) Takse variety of preexisting minolta lenses

Cons:

1) PRICE ! I think the price will scare away several would be amature photographers. Especially since a digital rebel (not as feature rich) can be found less than 1000$.


Bottom line. If you already own minolta lenses this maybe the right camera for you to leap into digital photography. Or else you may want to take a look at digital rebel and see if that fits your bills.

Rating:
Summary: Minolta's first digital SLR
Review: The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is a digital SLR (DSLR) which is built on Minolta's Maxxum 7 body. It has an APS-size CCD as its image sensor which crops an image by 1.5X in comparison with its 35mm film counterpart. The 7D has a large, high-resolution LCD, matched by only two other DSLRs, as of this writing: the Nikon D2H and D2X, both of which are twice the price of this camera. It has a maximum ISO of 3200, matched by few other cameras. Even the Canon 1Ds has a maximum ISO of only 1250 and the Canon 1D Mark II of only 1600. The 7D has a resolution of 6 mega pixels, which some might find disappointing, given the plethora of new digital cameras which have come out over the past year having a resolution of 8 mega pixels. The big news, of course, is the built-in image stabilization, introduced in the Minolta A-1 prosumer camera. While Canon users, and, more recently and to a lesser degree, Nikon users, have had to choose a lens here and a lens there on which to spend their hard earned cash if they wanted image stabilization, owners of the 7D will pay a fair price for it once and will then gain the benefits of it with every lens in their arsenal; wide, long, macro, or special effect (e.g., soft focus). This is something that was impossible with film. It really is a brilliant idea.

Although there are some caveats, this is an excellent digital SLR with great features, handling, and performance. Please read my full review on my website.

http://www.jpwphoto.com/